Sales catalogue: Sotheby's

Date:
March 1930
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/20/839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue: Sotheby's. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    97/144 page 83
    Che to Mr. David Sillar of Irvine (auto. address) : I am just five shillings rich at present; tho I was considerably richer three days ago, when I was obliged to pay twenty pounds lessly gave him my name on the back of a bill where-in I had no concern, & he... gave me the bill to pay... I trust your many rich & powerful friends will enable you to get clear of that flinty-hearted scoundrel, whose name I detest. minute breaks at joints, framed and glazed so as to display both sides Property of Pp. J. bh. Gainsford, Lsa., of Edinburgh. 16 lines of verse, “ The Chevalier’s Lament,” 34 full pages, 4to, with auto. ‘address s. “ R. B.” Mauchline, May 26th, 1788, to Mr. James Maitland of Stranraer, and contain- ing his opinion of Virgil: “T have been troubled with learning my instructions as an Exciseman which have played the very Devil with all attempts of mine of a Poetical Nature—As the study of the rule of three and the perusal of a scale book of duties is not conducive to the encouragement of the finer sense of composition... As for the Aeneid of Virgil it gave me a great deal of pleasure, but I do not think there is so much originality in that Poem as there is in the Georgics. I cannot but think that Virgil was but a copier of Greek poems and ideas and have already expressed myself in that manner to several of my friends who agree with me. But as I am not sufficiently versed in these matters and especially in the metres of foreign [sic] & particularly the classics I am but a very incompetent judge ... I send you one of my latest effusions. I have sent it to Mr. Cleghorn and intend that Mr. Thomson should have some interest in it. Mr. Cleghorn was the suggestor of the form of Poem which I have dared to call the Chevalier’s Lament.” Speaks of Jacobite sentiment. The prose of the letter would appear to be unpublished. Except for small seal-hole not affecting text, and four slits in joints, in good condition. [ See neat page for ILLUSTRATION. | G 2
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